Improvement in spool-exhibiting cases



I. D. CUTTER.

Patented Oct. 5,1875.

Uur n STATES PATENTy OFFICEo JOHN D. GUTTER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN SPOOL-EXHIBITING CASES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 168,160, dated October 5,1875; application led July 1, 1875.

To all whom it may concern.' 1

Be it known that I, JOHN D. GUTTER, of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented an Improved Spool-Exhibiting Oase 5 and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing,which forms part of this speciiication.

My invention consists in a case or drawer provided with Xed divisions in one direction and movable divisions in a transverse direction, and in certain details of construction and arrangement of parts, whereby many advantages are obtained, and provision is made for the exhibition ofthe spools, and for ready access to them for removal when desired. The invention consists, further, in providingthe case or drawer with a front composed of glass having a planoconvex or planoprismatic surface, for the purpose of magnifying the spools.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l is a front view, partly in vertical section, of a spool-exhibiting case made according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section at right angles to Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the drawers.

A represents a chest or cabinet for holding the cases or drawers containing the spools. Said cabinet may be of any suitable construction, and of such dimensions as to enable it to hold any desired number of the cases or drawers. B represents a box, case, or drawer, having its bottom and three sides made of wood, or'any other suitable material. The bottom of the drawer is provided with a num ber of ribs, b, arranged parallelfwith each other, and with the front of the case or drawer. These ribs may be of tapering, or rounded, or other suitable form, and serve to divide the bottom of the drawer into a number of compartments or recesses, c, for holding the spools, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The bottom of the case, including the ribs and recesses, is covered with a lining, d, of cloth, velvet, or other suitable material. The recesses c are divided into a number of compartments, each corresponding with the length of a spool, by means of a removable framework composed of bars E, arranged parallel with the ribs and recesses, and bars F, arranged transversely thereto. The bars E rest in one or more of the recesses c, and the bars F rest.

on the upper edges of the ribs b. The framework may be held in place in the drawer by means of buttons f on the bars E engaging with grooves g in the side pieces a of the drawer, or in any other suitable manner. By this construction of the frame-work forming the transverse divisions, the application of the liningto the case or drawer may be accomplished without inconvenience, and the framework may be readily removed in order to brush and clean out the bottom of the case or drawer, which could not be done so readily if the pockets or recesses were formed by fixed partitions transverse to each other. The bars leave the spools well exposed to view, and allow of their being readily removed by the ngers. When desired to change the dimensions of the pockets or recesses the frame-work may be replaced by one having the transverse bars at dilferent distances from each other. 'The case or drawer has its front H composed of glass, for the purpose of enabling the spools to be seen from the outside of the cabinet, by which means thel particular kind of spools contained in each drawer may be known before opening the drawer. The. inner side of the glass front H is a plane surface; but the outside is convex or prismatic, by which means the spools are magnied when seen through said glass front. The glass front is attached to the drawer by means of two metallic clamps, K, one at each end of the front. Each clamp is attached to one of the side pieces a by screws or otherwise, and is countersunk therein, so as not to interfere with the ready working of the drawer in its seatl in the cabinet. The outer portions of the clamp are bent around over the ends of the front H, and made to conform to the beveled or convex shape thereof, fitting closely thereon, so as to hold the front in place against the side pieces a, and also confine it vertically and endwise, and thus prevent displacement in any direction.

The clamps may be plated or crnamented in any suitable manner, so as to present a nea-t and handsome appearance when in place.

The case or drawer is provided with iingerpieces J, to facilitate the opening or removal from the cabinet.

What I claim as new, and desire to ysecure by Letters Patent,is-

l. In a spool-exhibiting case, the combination of fixed partitions-in'one direction and removable partitions in a direction transverse to the fixed partitions, substantially as and for the purposes herein described.

2. The combination of the drawer having the parallel-lined channels or recesses c c, and

y I the rods F, arranged above and transverse t0 said channels or recesses.

3. The combination of the drawer having the channels or recesses o, the bars E, parallel 

